Attack in Kabul amid peace talks

June 18 - Suicide bombers in Kabul kill two policemen and one civilian after President Karzai says that reconciliation talks with the Taliban are underway.

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--STORY CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES
Afghan security forces carry the body of a suicide bomber from the site of the attack in Kabul.
Suicide bombers in army uniforms attacked a police station in the Afghan capital killing at least two policemen and a civilian.
This is the second major attack in Kabul in under a month.
SOUNDBITE: Brigadier General Joseph Blotz, saying (English):
"Today we saw an attack an insurgent caused attack around 1:30 this afternoon, local time in Kabul. What I know is that three personal IEDS were brought to the scenes one suicide bomber actually managed to explode himself in front of the gate of police districts one headquarters, downtown Kabul, tragically this attack resulted in a couple of policemen brave policemen and innocent Afghan civilians and wounded and the Afghan national police and the Afghan police did manage to shoot two more suicide bombers before they could explode themselves."
Afghan President Hamid Karzai
Last month the Taliban vowed to carry out attacks, including suicide bombings, on foreign and Afghan troops and government officials. They have assassinated several senior police commanders since the start of the year.
Earlier Karzai told a news conference that reconciliation talks with the Taliban, the US and other nations are underway.
SOUNDBITE: Afghan President Hamid Karzai, saying (Dari):
"Peace negotiations with the Taliban and with other countrymen have been started -- those who accept the constitution, freedom, democracy and development of Afghanistan can take part in this negotiation, and peace talks are going on with the Taliban. The foreign military and especially the United States itself are going ahead with these negotiations."
Blotz did not comment directly on those talks.
SOUNDBITE: Brigadier General Joseph Blotz, saying (English):
"This conflict is not going to end on the battlefield, but at a negotiation table. And, this is what we are seeing I think the international community provided strong political and financial support to Karzai's Afghan peace and reconciliation process. So, if they go forward now in order to reconcile at leasts with those that are reconcilable that's within the realm of this plan of this concept so that's fine."
Karzai's speech came the day after the U.N.split the sanctions list for Taliban and al Qaeda figures into two, which envoys said could help induce the Taliban into talks on a peace deal in Afghanistan.
The attacks come just weeks ahead of an expected drawdown of US troops in Afghanistan,.
Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters

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